'Ownership of land is a primary value among the people of Khánh Hậu, and it is a fundamental requirement in the process of upward social mobility... After a man has accumulated sufficient land to pass on to his children, he begins to think about constructing a substantial house... It is extremely important that a man have sons to carry on the cult, land to provide economic support for the cult, and a substantial house where succeeding generations can maintain the ancestral altars and practice the cult rituals. The house also becomes a prestige symbol reflecting the affluence of the owner, his character as a groups provider, and his ability as a farmer.
As the villager's financial state improves, he is free to devote more time to village activities, another essential characteristic in the process of upward mobility. Once a man has established himself as a respected member of the community and a man of means, it is likely that he will be asked to accept a title in the Cult Committee... Once in the Cult Committee and the Village Council, the villager has more of an opportunity to participate in village affairs... At the present time [1950s], a villager also is expected to join the one political party in the village, and participate in the anti-communist meetings and demonstrations.
Literary is a secondary requisite in the process of upward mobility. Having a primary school certificate is not necessary for upper class status, although it does carry a good deal of prestige. The education of one's children is important, however, for the educational system has expanded considerably in recent years, and sending one's children to school is a sign of being good parent, an attribute highly valued in the village.
It is rare that a man moves from the lower class to the upper class and attains a place among the village venerables in his lifetime. The pattern of upward mobility in Khánh Hậu is for a family to rise over several generations. A man works to accumulate the means for purchasing some land to pass on to his sons and they are expected to build on this inheritance by securing more land. By this process a family may rise from the lower class to the middle class in two generations, and with good fortune, to the upper class in three generations.
For women of the village, the only means to upward mobility is through marriage. All women are expected to marry, and while they subsequently may engage in petty commerce or have a small couturier's shop in the front of the house, their class positions are determined by their husbands.'
Gerald C. Hickey (1960) PhD thesis: The Study of a Vietnamese Rural Community - Sociology Link
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